Pro7Sat.1, Paramount extend pact

Deal includes 'Star Trek,' 'Watchmen'

ProSiebenSat.1 is boldly going where no other German broadcaster has gone before.

Paramount Pictures has extended an exclusive free TV output deal with the Munich-based pan-European broadcasting group for a slate of high-profile pics that include J.J. Abrams’ upcoming “Star Trek,” Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and Zack Snyder’s “The Watchmen.”

The agreement, which is limited to German-speaking Europe, also covers an extensive movie package of top catalog titles including the “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises, “48 Hrs.,” “Forrest Gump,” “Ghost” and “Top Gun.”

“Star Trek,” the latest installment in the long-running movie series, is an especially important property to ProSiebenSat.1.

The cult sci-fi series has been one of the broadcaster’s most reliable franchises since the 1980s, when Sat.1 revived the original show. It later acquired “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager” and “Enterprise,” in addition to the films.

In 2002, ProSiebenSat.1 affiliate Kabel Eins began taking over the “Trek” franchise series by series and in 2004 acquired the films, which continue to garner strong ratings.

Battered by the global economic crisis and advertising slump, ProSiebenSat.1 has sustained sinking revenue and growing losses and has been forced to cut costs, but the Paramount deal reflects the importance of popular Hollywood fare, and especially “Trek,” for its key 14-49 demo.

ProSiebenSat.1, which operates five German-language channels in Germany, three in Austria and two in Switzerland, has long-term agreements with Sony, CBS, Disney, Warner, MGM, Lucasfilm and DreamWorks, as well as top German production companies and distributors Constantin, Tobis and Kinowelt.